FA YOUTH CUP MATCH REPORT: NORWICH CITY 0 CHELSEA 0
Posted on: Wed 11 Jan 2012
FA YOUTH CUP REPORT: NORWICH CITY V CHELSEA
Adi Viveash's side secured their place in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup, beating Norwich in a tense penalty shootout after the game at Carrow Road had ended 0-0.
120 minutes of football had failed to separate the sides, and Blues keeper Jamal Blackman was the hero on the night, saving Joshua Murphy's kick to make all the difference in the shootout, which the Blues went on to win 4-2.
There was only one change from the Blues team which beat Doncaster in the third round, with Daniel Pappoe coming into the centre of defence, allowing captain Nathaniel Chalobah to move into midfield alongside John Swift and Lewis Baker. Alex Kiwomya had to be content with a place on the bench.
It was a cagey opening few minutes with neither side wanting to make any early mistakes, though Nathan Ake had to be alert to clear a Harry Toffolo cross from the left in the first real attack of the match.
The hosts almost took the lead in the 9th minute when Cameron McGeehan rose highest to meet a Michael Clunan free kick at the far post, but the midfielder, under pressure from Todd Kane, could only manage to direct his header wide.
Jamar Loza was then brought down on the edge of the box by Ake to present Norwich with a free kick in a dangerous position, but Toffolo curled his effort harmlessly over the bar.
Ake was the architect of our first sight on goal in the 21st minute, skilfully bursting through from the back to play a delightful through ball to Lucas Piazon, who fired straight at Remi Matthews as the goalkeeper advanced off his line.
The home side had the best chance of the game minutes later when Reece Hall-Johnson whipped a cross across the face of the goal following a marauding run down the right; Pappoe did well to intercept but in doing so rolled the ball into the path of the onrushing Jamar Loza, whose effort from only yards out was brilliantly saved by Jamal Blackman in the Blues goal.
In making the tackle, Pappoe appeared to land awkwardly and Adi Viveash was forced into the first substitution of the match, replacing him with Archange Nkumu. Pappoe appeared to be in some distress and left the field on a stretcher.
A neat interchange between Swift and Lewis Baker almost played in Feruz, but Norwich managed to clear, while a minute later Baker evaded his man but could only fire his shot wide as he looked to bend it in the far corner.
The Blues were almost in front shortly after, with Baker again at the heart of it, this time releasing Kane who did well to round the keeper, only to lose the ball under pressure from two Norwich defenders.
A delightful ball in from the left by Nditi was almost met by Feruz, but the delivery had just a little too much pace on it and rolled away.
Feruz had the first sight of goal in the second half, using his pace to latch on to a hopeful clearance by Ake, but as he pulled the trigger with his left foot, Norwich captain Taylor McKenzie did well to block.
We began the second spell on the front foot with both Swift and Baker looking the most likely to unlock the door.
It was Norwich, however, who almost broke the deadlock, when Jacob Murphy reacted quickest in the penalty area to fire goalwards, but Ake was on hand to force the ball behind for a corner.
With the Blues lacking a cutting edge, Viveash replaced Amin Affane on the right with Kiwomya in an obvious attempt to freshen things up, and Swift almost opened the scoring in the 64th minute with a rasping effort that was well saved.
Baker was then shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Hall-Johnson as the midfielder's frustration began to grow.
Piazon was soon brought down right on the edge of the Norwich box by McKenzie, with the Chelsea supporters inside Carrow Road appealing for a penalty. Baker took the resulting kick but his effort cannoned off the wall.
Baker did well to get on the end of an Nditi cross in the 78th minute, but with too much height on the delivery he failed to connect with any conviction and his effort rolled wide.
With five minutes remaining, Kiwomya did well to cut inside Toffolo out wide on the right, the winger failed to look up though, and his cross rolled aimlessly behind for a goal kick.
Ake almost threw the game away for us with less than two minutes to play, carelessly losing possession inside our half, but as Loza looked as though he was about to win the game for Norwich, Nkumu made a timely intervention to keep the scores level and send the game into extra time.
There were appeals for handball when Piazon attempted to put Feruz through in the 96th minute, but the referee waved them away to the relief of the home supporters inside the stadium.
Clear-cut opportunities were proving hard to come by as both times tired; Piazon released Kiwomya whose cross was easily cleared, while Ricky Martin's side went close when the substitute Murphy's header had to be expertly tipped over by Blackman.
Blackman was called upon in the opening minute of the second period of extra time once again, saving well from Murphy's powerful angled drive.
Blues boss Viveash then made his final substitution of the evening, replacing Feruz with Alistair Gordon.
Kiwomya had a perfect opportunity to play in Kane who had made a bursting run from deep, but the forward put too much weight on the pass, giving the right-back far too much to do. Baker then hit one from distance but it sailed over the bar.
Murphy was becoming a real danger for the home side, and he again went close after a lovely piece of play, but his effort lacked the power to trouble a keeper of Blackman's quality, ensuring the game would be decided by a penalty shootout.
Cameron McGheean was first up for Norwich, but the midfielder saw his strike crash against the bar. Chalobah took the Blues' first kick and scored easily.
Murphy stepped up next for the Canaries, but Blackman saved brilliantly down to his left, putting us in the driving seat. Piazon calmly made it 2-0 to the Blues.
Clunan pulled Norwich back into it next, driving into the top corner, before Kiwomya made it 3-1. Loza ensured it would be a tense finish, calmly slotting home to make it 3-2, but fittingly it was Baker who sealed the win for Chelsea with an expertly taken kick, making it 4-2 in the shootout.
Chelsea will now play West Ham United in the fifth round at home; the game will be played at Staines Town FC.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Jamal Blackman; Todd Kane, Nathan Ake, Daniel Pappoe (Archange Nkumu 28), Adam Nditi; John Swift, Lewis Baker, Nathaniel Chalobah ©; Amin Affane (Alex Kiwomya 60), Islam Feruz (Alistair Gordon 106), Lucas Piazon.
Unused subs: Mitchell Beeney, Anjur Osmanovic.
Norwich City (4-3-3): Remi Matthews; Cameron Norman, Harry Barker, Taylor McKenzie ©, Harry Toffolo; Michael Clunan, Cameron McGeehan, Dean Florence (Jason Dobbs 102); Jacob Murphy (Joshua Murphy 71), Jamar Loza, Reece Hall-Johnson.
Unused subs: Theo Jones, Conor Cable, Joshua Murphy, Kyle McFadden
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